Easy Avakai Biryani Recipe 2024

Avakai or Avakaya Biryani is quite famous for its unique taste and aroma, which comes from the combination of Avakai(mango pickle) and Biryani.

This is different from our regular biryanis and will be a dream come true for biryani lovers. This amazing Biryani is excellent for everyday and even special occasions and is very popular across all Telugu restaurants. 

So, let’s get started. All the ingredients and instructions that you need to make this awesome Biryani are mentioned below.

Ingredients

For Marination:

• ¼ to ½ cup of grated Avakai/ Avakaya pickle
• 1 kilo chicken with biryani cuts
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons biryani masala
• 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder (haldi)
• ¾ teaspoon of red chili powder
• 2 tbsps of cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt (namak)
• ½ cup of fried onions

For Biryani Masala:

• 1 tablespoon of biryani masala
• 3-4 green chilis (hari mirch)
• 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste 
• 1/3 cup of cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons of ghee
• Half cinnamon stick (darchini)
• 2- 3 cloves (laung)
• 2-3 green cardamom (green elaichi)
• 2 cups of chopped medium-sized onions 
• 2 teaspoons of red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder ( haldi powder)
• ½ tablespoon or to taste salt (namak)
• ¼ cup of fried onion 
• Marinated chicken
• ½ cup water
• 1-2 teaspoons of red food color (optional)

For Biryani Rice:

• 1kg Basmati rice (soaked for 20 minutes)
• 2 tablespoons of ghee
• 5- 6 cups of water
• 1-2 bay leaves 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-3 green cardamom pods
• 2-inch piece of cinnamon
• 2- 3 cloves
• 4 slit green chilies
• Salt to taste

Boil the rice until it’s 70% cooked. Drain water and set aside.

Instructions:

For Marinade:

In a large bowl, add chicken and coat it well with grated Avakai pickle and all the other ingredients for the marinade, and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the marinade for 2 hours.

Cooking the rice:

1. Use aged Basmati rice, soak it for 30 minutes, and drain it.
2.  Heat a pot, pour 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, and all the aromatic spices, and allow the water to boil.
3. Now add the rice and let it boil until they are half cooked.
4. At this stage, carefully drain the rice and let it cool for later use.

For Biryani Masala:

1. Add 3-4 tablespoons of cooking oil and 1 tablespoon of ghee to a biryani pot. Saute all the dry spices. 
2. Next, add thinly sliced onions and fry them until golden brown.
3. Next, add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are soft and mushy. Now add turmeric powder and biryani masala and give it a quick stir.
4. Add the marinated Avakai chicken to the gravy. Then add ½ cups of water and cook the gravy on high flame for 5 minutes and then on medium heat for the next 10 minutes, stirring it intermittently until oil separates. Now add green chilies.

 Layering:

1. Separate the gravy in two parts and top the chicken masala with the first layer of rice. 
2. Drizzle food color: fried onions, mint leaves, and coriander leaves.
3. Now layer the remaining chicken masala and rice and sprinkle some fried onions and mint leaves.
4. Add a tablespoon of ghee, cover it tightly with a heavy lid, and let it cook on dum for the next 10- 15 minutes. Allow the flavors to meld, making sure the flame is low.
5. Allow Biryani to sit for a while, then serve it with raita. Make sure every portion gets an equal serving of masala and rice.

Also Try: Mushroom Biryani, Egg Biryani